Whale-ista
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Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Migration report: the grays are heading your way!
For nomads SOB- Keep your eyes on the horizon: the grays are heading your way!
It's been chilly in San Diego the last few days (for SoCal). But seeing a barnacle-encrusted head of an adult gray whale in the surf, exploring the
shallow water in the "soup" just off the beach north of Scripps Institution of Oceanography pier, reminded me why I braved the 40 degree chill
this AM to do a hike up the bluffs with my binoculars.
Every time I see their spouts/tails/backs flashing offshore I'm reminded: They are breathtaking critters.. and today, it was so amazing to see one so
close to shore, and from an aerial perspective vs. alongside them in a panga...
We watched them swim southwest, away from the bluffs- I hope the kayakers fishing offshore near the La Jolla kelp beds realized & appreciated what
they were seeing from just a short distance away.
So get ready Nomads: the grays are heading to the lagoons for another visit!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Mula
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Location: San Nicolas y Lopez Mateos
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The locals in Lopez Mateos are saying the whales will be late coming in to this area of the bay this year because the water is still too warm.
So they are not looking for much whale watching for January, but say February should be good.
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shari
Select Nomad
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Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Warm water is one of the reasons the whales are in the lagoons as the calves dont have any blubber when they are born so I cant imagine what water
temps have to do with them arriving late. Mag bay is always later as is San Ignacio. Laguna Ojo de Liebre fills up first with about 2,000
whales...mostly mothers & calves so whale watching is earlier there and end earlier too wheras the lagoons further south get better later in the
season.
Word on the whale street is they are a couple weeks or more early this year, most likely due to the extreme cold snap early this winter.The whale
count they do at Pt.Vicente had a record number of grays passing this month so they are early.
Whales have to leave the great white north or risk being trapped by ice forming. I spoke to the ejido yesterday at Ojo de Liebre and there are many
whales there already and pangas are running.
I am so excited about our first trip out on Jan.6th!!! Look forward to seeing many of you again this season and of course our whale amigos!
[Edited on 12-28-2014 by shari]
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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water temp is about 15 degrees warmer than air temp in San Diego right now!
I wonder how many curious whales will poke their heads into San Diego bay this year. it seems to be happening more often...
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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bill erhardt
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Location: Loreto, BCS
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Shari.....No sign of any grays yet in the estero at Lopez Mateos or Boca de Soledad. A lot of humpbacks outside. What is your best guess when the
grays may get this far south?
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Bajahowodd
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Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Quote: Originally posted by shari  | Warm water is one of the reasons the whales are in the lagoons as the calves dont have any blubber when they are born so I cant imagine what water
temps have to do with them arriving late. Mag bay is always later as is San Ignacio. Laguna Ojo de Liebre fills up first with about 2,000
whales...mostly mothers & calves so whale watching is earlier there and end earlier too wheras the lagoons further south get better later in the
season.
Word on the whale street is they are a couple weeks or more early this year, most likely due to the extreme cold snap early this winter.The whale
count they do at Pt.Vicente had a record number of grays passing this month so they are early.
Whales have to leave the great white north or risk being trapped by ice forming. I spoke to the ejido yesterday at Ojo de Liebre and there are many
whales there already and pangas are running.
I am so excited about our first trip out on Jan.6th!!! Look forward to seeing many of you again this season and of course our whale amigos!
[Edited on 12-28-2014 by shari] |
My understanding about Ojo de Liebre is that there is another major factor for the whales being there. The lagoon is relatively shallow. It does not
allow for the Orcas to prey on the young since typically, the orcas need to dive very deep to gain speed to attack. Hence, they often wait outside
the lagoon for the young calves that exit.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
[Edited on 12-29-2014 by Bajahowodd]
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Bill...as I mentioned Ojo de Liebre fills up first throughout January, followed by the other lagoons...I wonder if they are overflow? There are more
whales than usual in GN now. This week we havent seen many migraters passing Asuncion so most whales are stopping at Scammon's and maybe milling
around California a bit before heading down to your area. Ask the locals when they usually see the first whales there...should be in the next few
weeks.
Orcas would also get the crap slapped out of them by so many adult female Grays protecting their babies!
For anyone traveling around GN, we still have room on our first whale adventures of the season on Jan.7,8 & 9th...I am hoping to see some births
and mating!!!
[Edited on 12-29-2014 by shari]
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BajaGeoff
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Registered: 1-11-2006
Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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We saw lots of southbound whales spouting off Rosarito over the last couple days...
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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woo hooo...we just saw 2 groups passing by our place too!
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richard nauman
Junior Nomad
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Registered: 10-1-2003
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We went out in Ojo de Liebre with the ejido's first boat of the season on saturday(12/27). There were a bunch of big very pregnant moms floating
around in the bay but we didn't see any little guys until one mom started thrashing around. After watching her trash on the surface for a while she
dove under the surface. I wasn't sure what was happening until she came back up with her new born. After bringing it up to the surface a few times to
breathe, she lifted the baby out of the water on her snout and with her head completely out of the water and swam towards us showing off her baby.
They then dove and reappeared next to the only other boat out there and again she lifted her baby out of the water for everyone to see.
I am still trying to wrap my head around her behavior and can't really think of any other explanation than she was showing the baby to us.
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BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
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Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Wow very cool Richard!
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woody with a view
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Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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just saw a report on LA News who said the count is over 300 and a 30 year record for this early. their theory is global warming is melting the ice,
allowing the whales to get at more food, get fat sooner and head south.
I guess that's one guess! 
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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proud mama?
amazing... what a great story! they are so interesting/curious to observe, full of surprises... thanks for sharing a new one! (young whales definitely
spend a lot of time on mom's back)
| Quote: Originally posted by richard nauman | We went out in Ojo de Liebre with the ejido's first boat of the season on saturday(12/27). There were a bunch of big very pregnant moms floating
around in the bay but we didn't see any little guys until one mom started thrashing around. After watching her trash on the surface for a while she
dove under the surface. I wasn't sure what was happening until she came back up with her new born. After bringing it up to the surface a few times to
breathe, she lifted the baby out of the water on her snout and with her head completely out of the water and swam towards us showing off her baby.
They then dove and reappeared next to the only other boat out there and again she lifted her baby out of the water for everyone to see.
I am still trying to wrap my head around her behavior and can't really think of any other explanation than she was showing the baby to us.
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\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Oh Richard...THAT's what I was talking about that early January is a very special time. I understand that a live birth has never been recorded...did
you happen to get it on film? Very few people have had the honour of witnessing a gray whale birth...embrace it!!!! I cant wait for next week!
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richard nauman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 67
Registered: 10-1-2003
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Mood: Tranquilo
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Shari,
It was exactly like you described before we headed north. Unfortunately, although we all had cameras I don't think we got any good photos and
definitely no video. The whole thing was so overwhelming that even though I had my camera in my hand I forgot to take pictures. I've worked most of my
life as a wildlife biologist and have had the opportunity to see a lot of amazing things but this was really off the charts.
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